Who Pays? Who Decides? Unlocking Capital for Existing Buildings
Friday, October 23, 2026 10:15 AM to 11:15 AM · 1 hr. (US/Eastern)
Finance and Business Models
Information
Decarbonizing existing commercial buildings is no longer a technology problem, it is a capital allocation problem. Proven solutions exist, incentives are widespread, and energy savings are measurable. Yet investment continues to stall because the parties who pay, decide, operate, and benefit are structurally misaligned.
This session examines the financing deadlock in leased commercial real estate through three real-world lenses: ownership, property management, and performance accountability. Rather than presenting idealized case studies, the panel unpacks the real constraints that block action - investment committee hurdles, tenant pass-through structures, operational risk concerns, and uncertainty around sustained performance.
Drawing on insights from four senior leaders - representing an investment management firm, a national property and asset management firm, a building performance analytics firm and a decarbonization strategist, this discussion examines why traditional ROI calculations fail to unlock capital and what truly shifts investment behavior.
Panelists will analyze three financing structures increasingly used in existing buildings:
1. Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) models
2. Opex-based performance contracts
3. Green lease cost-recovery mechanisms
For each structure, the session evaluates how risk is allocated, how decision authority shifts, and how operational accountability is maintained post-retrofit. Attendees will leave with practical frameworks to assess when to invest, when to defer, and how to structure retrofit financing so responsibility, risk, and results align. By connecting financial engineering to building operations and carbon performance, this session translates the 2026 theme (Invest for Impact) into actionable strategy for existing assets.
This session examines the financing deadlock in leased commercial real estate through three real-world lenses: ownership, property management, and performance accountability. Rather than presenting idealized case studies, the panel unpacks the real constraints that block action - investment committee hurdles, tenant pass-through structures, operational risk concerns, and uncertainty around sustained performance.
Drawing on insights from four senior leaders - representing an investment management firm, a national property and asset management firm, a building performance analytics firm and a decarbonization strategist, this discussion examines why traditional ROI calculations fail to unlock capital and what truly shifts investment behavior.
Panelists will analyze three financing structures increasingly used in existing buildings:
1. Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) models
2. Opex-based performance contracts
3. Green lease cost-recovery mechanisms
For each structure, the session evaluates how risk is allocated, how decision authority shifts, and how operational accountability is maintained post-retrofit. Attendees will leave with practical frameworks to assess when to invest, when to defer, and how to structure retrofit financing so responsibility, risk, and results align. By connecting financial engineering to building operations and carbon performance, this session translates the 2026 theme (Invest for Impact) into actionable strategy for existing assets.
Learning Level
Advanced
Program
Track Session
Track
Finance and Business Models
Learning Objective #1
Analyze why traditional energy-savings ROI models often fail to unlock capital in leased commercial buildings.
Learning Objective #2
Compare three retrofit financing structures - Energy-as-a-Service, operating-expense-based performance contracts, and green lease cost-recovery mechanisms, based on risk allocation and decision authority.
Learning Objective #3
Evaluate how financing structure influences long-term building performance, operational accountability, and carbon reduction outcomes.
Learning Objective #4
Apply a capital-alignment framework to determine when to invest, defer, or restructure retrofit projects in existing assets.
